An exercise...
Katie slammed open the door to her trailer as a truck pulled up. The sound of the tires rolling over rocks and a cloud of dust stirred up near the trailer. The driver got out and Katie addressed him. "Where the hell were you?"
Nick, sensing the tension from his girlfriend cautiously walked up to her as she was standing on the iron steps leading up to the trailer. "Don't be mad," he said. "I borrowed the truck."
"I can see you borrowed the truck," Katie said. "Why is the bumper hanging off of it?"
"Because I ran over something."
"What?"
"I'm not sure." Nick coughed.
"Excuse me?" Katie stared at her boyfriend, eyes wide.
Nick broke down, realizing he couldn't hide it. "I ran over some guy."
Silence. Katie's expression didn't change. She studied her boyfriend for a few seconds, eyes darting back and forth while she contemplated what her idiot boyfriend was trying to tell her. "You ran over some guy? Are you kidding me?"
"I wish." Nick laughed nervously. "Listen. I was taking it easy, going slow so I didn't get pulled over. You know they would've arrested me and impounded the truck because of my license. I pulled up to the railroad tracks over near Sam's, ya know, and I thought I saw the sheriff turning behind me. I panicked, gunned it across the tracks and you know how rough those tracks are. I lost control of the truck, slid in to Sam's gas station and, well, like I said. Thump, thump."
"Is he all right? Is he dead? Did the sheriff get help? Wait, how are you still here if a sheriff saw you." Katie was fuming.
"Well, it's kinda funny. Turns out it wasn't a sheriff. Just some old car looked like a sheriff's car. They probably got it from a police auction or something."
"You're unbelievable! Where's the guy?"
"What guy," Nick asked.
She slapped her boyfriend on the side of the arm, hard. "The guy you ran over you stupid stooge! What the hell is wrong with you? I can't believe this! What kind of a moron are you?"
Nick stared, blank expression.
"Nick!"
"What?"
"THE GUY?"
"Oh, I dunno. He's probably ok. I didn't stick around to find out."
"You think he's ok?" Katie asked desperately.
"Probably. Although after I ran over him, I had to get out of there in a hurry. It probably didn't help though when I had to back over him again to get away. But I'm sure he's ok. Yeah." Nick scratched his head.
"Unbelievable," Katie said. "You are a complete moron. Someone probably saw you and the cops are on their way right now, probably Sam saw you. They're coming to arrest you and put you in moron jail, a jail just for stupid people like you Nick. What are you going to do about my truck? Do you know how much it costs to fix a hanging bumper and God knows what else you did to my truck?"
"Sam's can fix it up."
"Sam's? The very same Sam who just witnessed you running over one of his customers? Don't you think he's going to be a little suspicious Nick when you pull my truck in there to fix - look I don't even know you. You need to pack your stuff and get the hell out of my trailer. I don't want to ever see you again, I don't want to know you, don't call me, don't write - assuming you know how, don't send nothing, don't send nobody. We are through. Now get out!"
Nick paused then turned to the bedroom. He dejectedly went around and picked up whatever was in sight. He stepped out of the trailer, pulled out his car keys, opened the driver's side door to the truck and lifted a leg to climb inside.
"Nick!" Katie yelled.
"What?" Nick was hanging out of the truck.
"Take a cab! That's my truck you idiot!"
Nick realized his mistake. Closed the door to the truck and thought for a minute. "Do you know the number to get me cab or can you call Jesse to come pick me up?"
Katie screamed, stormed back inside her trailer, slamming the aluminum door as hard as a trailer door can be slammed anyway.
Nick waited for about another minute. "Honey, are you calling someone?"
